Pile-follower



Ic. s. BOARDMAN.

PILE FOLLOWER. APPYLlcATloN HLEn'AP-n. 15, |919.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

D IHIvIILhkW/HHUILUPIIILIVI C. S. BOARDMAN.

PILE FOLLOWER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15. |919.

0. 2. 92 1T 3.2M H WH Wu Nw m2 n m D..

cHAELEs s. EOAEDMAN, OEBUEEALO, NEW Yo'EK, ass-renoniroraciawfimii STEEL COMIANY, OIE LAGKAWANNA,

.YORK- Application led Apri1215,

To @ZZ 1U 710m t may concern.'

, Be it known that I, CHARLES S. BOARD- MAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pile-Followers, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to the art of driving steel sheet piling and consists of an` improved sheet p ile follower construction and arrangement designed particularly for use in subaqueous installations, and adapted forconveniently and easily driving sheet piling in interlocked relation below lwater level without requiring the services ofa diver. My presenty invention further consistsl in the essentially new andiimproved method employed in the interlocking and ydriving of the piling in installationsl of the vcharacter described. .Y

Inthe constantly expanding iield in which interlocking Lsteel sheet piling 'walls are found to Vbe preferable and more economical, particularly as to installation costs there are included constructions wherein it is necessary and desirable to drive the piling to form a wall having the top ends of the piling' elements thereofy driven below water level. l, In'typical installations-of this class of construction, such as protective sheet pil- Y ing walls driven at the-base of 'dams Vrand bulkheads these subaqueous protecting'walls are installed as permanentparts ofthe structurel particularlyfor protection againstV undermining. Y Y i In such installations it has heretofore been customaryandnecessary in the driving of sheet piling to form a-iwall below the water level to employ a diver or divers,` whose services have been required to guide the individual -piles or pile sections in to interlocking engagement and to release the pile followers heretofore employed from their attachment to these individual piling sections. Inl connection lwith these prior types of pile followers the follower elements have been attached by means of splice plates and bolts tion from the follower element, the latter being then secured to the succeeding. piling section which Ais guided into interlocking ens Specification of Letters Patent.

. lation with the first NEW vomi, TA .coEroEA'rIoiv-.OE NEW.,

rILEs-EoLLovvEE.' e

Patented Nev.y 23,' 1920.

19.19. Serial No. 290,233.

gagement withl'the'driven section by the.,

diver and then when driven the follower element would havefto beagain detachedfand so on until the completion of the wall'. As y will'be readilyappreciated this method of driving subaqueous walls is not only slow and expensive in its operation but involves the further troublesome factor in that it vdeand speciallabor.`

In accordance vwithfmy present invention I have designed an improvedtype` of pile follower construction which in its usewill permit of the piling sections being -guided into proper interlocked'relation from'a 'point or position above water level' and further is adapted to release the pilingafter being driven to the depth desired below the water lpends upon the services of lspecial'k apparatus level by manipulation from a point thereabove so that the entire operation of guiding the sections into `interlocking engagement ments is eiiected by manipulation at the surface thereby-greatly facilitating the installation and correspondingly. effecting a substantial saving in theexpense thereof. To

y andl releasing them from the follower eleleasably secured to the top of a pile or pila-r ing section and upon which'the pile .driver may act in driving each pile'into submerged position and which' is further designed for engagement with a succeeding pile section. and to .guidethe latter into Ainterlocking rej driven pile fattached thereto. y

In'theuse of improved. pile followers `I desirably employ twofor more and of the same. design, Ythe same being .used as aforesaid to guide the'succeedinv' ilin section 21 2:

into proper'positionand further Asimilarly guiding the follower .of said latter pile secvtion which is ydesirably effected by the interlocking and guiding eiigagementtherewith.

Accordingly this will permitof thefollowtype attached thereto,'is driven to the re ,quired depths, thel second,` or succeedingy piling section with a second Afollower attached thereto will -then'be interlocked with the first followerelement `at top above water level and guided thereby throughthe interl locks of followerand steel sheet pile into proper interlocking engagement with first Fig. 3.

steel sheetV pile driven as it is driven with its follower to the required depth. The first follower will then be released by the means for that purpose hereinafter' described and this follower will then be assembled with a third piling section which is then in turn driven as the succeeding section of the wall through engagement with the second follower element still in position on the pile and which after the last named or third pile is fully driven is then released for use with a succeeding piling section or fourthsteel sheet pile. kAs will be readily understood this procedure of alternately releasing and withdrawing the first driven follower ele- Vment after the succeeding element has been driven is `continued until the length of wall desired has been driven. yWhen the latter is effected the two followers are then released leaving the completed wall `driven at the desired-'depth below the water level, the entire manipulation of the sections aiidfollowers having been effected at or above the surface. In driving the sheet piles by the foregoing improved method the proper alinement of the top' of the wall driven is determined byY the relative position of the pile followers' above water level'.v

.The described ane other features and advantages of my invention will be understood Yby reference to the laccompanying drawing wherein an approved embodiment of my invention Yis-illustrated and wherein like reference Kcharacters of this description are applied to the corresponding parts in the several views. v

In the drawing Figure l is a side'elevation illustrating the improved pile foilower of my invention. Fig. 2 is a substantially central vertical sectional view thereof atV right angles to Fig. lV and on line 2 2 of Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectional view on l1ne 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a.

Vdiagrammatic view illustrating ,thev improved method of driving the pile sections in a continuous wall in laccordance with my invention and Fig.:v 5 is. a diagrammatic view of a typical installationrwherein'the piling is driven as a permanent wall below In the embodiment of my invention as shown in the drawing herewith I have illustrated the same of a forni particularly l adapted for use with the well-known double interlock or Lackawanna type 7 of steel sheet piling elements of the form illustrated in prior patent to me No. 923,110 dated May Y25, i909. s

symmetrically arranged with their opposed 4of the section Atherebyforming oppositely tionate to the depth to whichl the piling is tion A formed of sheet piling is reinforced by means of channel sections B, B secured by means of the vrivets 6 to opposite sides of the web portion l. Four ofthese channel sections B are employed having their web portions in right angular relaiton to tlie'web of the piling sections and secured to the pile section by means of their inner` flanges 8.

yso

The. channel sections B are as illustrated Y web portions suitably spaced to leave therebetween an opening 9 and as best shown in Figs. l and 2 Vthe channel sections are eX- tended or elongated below the bottom edge arranged and parallel slots or grooves 10..-A adapted to receive'therein the webportion of the top of a piling section to bei' attached thereto and driven-thereby.V At suitable intervals longitudinally of the follower eleH nient so formed the channel sections B are secured together at their outer or side `'edges by nieans of plates 12 riveted to the flanges i of said channel sections. Y At the lower end of the follower element the inner Vedges of *the web portion ofthe channel sections adjacent the slots 1'0 are cut Yaway vas. shown Vin Fig. 2 so as'to provideginclined surfaces yit-141@ to guidethe entryof the piling sections into'the groove l0;L

In assembling the pile followers so formed, withfthe steelf pilingv section to be driven, the top portion of the piling section is received within the groove 10 with vthe top edge thereof in engagement or substantiallyin engagement with the follower piling section A as bestV shown in Fig; l where the piling section to be driven'is indicated by dotted lines at P. When so positioned Y 'the piling sectionto be `driven and the section A ofthe follower element are in verti-yy cal alinement with the bottom edge ofthe section A bearing upon the top surfaceof` the piling section P so that :the driving iie forces applied to the follower-element V the usual' pileV driver hammer will bev transmitted directly through the section A to the piling P. As will be noted.v the follower 'section A is Vreinforced against defiection Vunder the blows of the hammer by means of andradapted for releasing the latter from securing engagement, said releasingrmeans being operative from above to permit of releasing the follower from the piling sectionv by manipulation at the surface substantially as described. Y

2. A pile follower adapted for driving sheet pilingpbelow water level comprising Ya follower member adapted for bearing engagement vwith a pile section to be driven, securing means carried by the follower member and normally operative to engage with the piling section to connect the fol- Y lower andV piling sections by engagement with the latter and a. releasing connection .associated with the securing means and operative from above thereby to permit of releasingvthe follower from the piling section by manipulation thereof at or above the surface substantially as described.

3. A pile follower adapted for driving sheet piling below water level comprising a follower member adapted for engagement Vwith a pile section to. be driven, securing lface substantially as described.

4. A pile followerv adapted for driving sheet piling below water level comprising follower member adapted for bearing engagement with a pile section to be driven,

a securing elementpivotally carried by the follower member and adapted normally to "engage with the piling section to attach the latter to the follower, and releasing means connected to the securing element andeX- tended upwardly therefrom to permit of releasing the follower from the piling section by manipulation at the surface substantially as described.

5. A pile follower adapted for driving ,sheet piling below water level comprising a follower member adapted for bearing engagement with a pile section to be driven, a securing member pivotally supportedV upon the follower member and having a detent positioned to have securing engagement with an aperture in the piling section, a resilient element connected respectively to the securing member and the follower member and operative normally to move the securing member into engagement with the piling section an l releasing means connected to the securing member and extending upwardly therefrom to permit of withdrawing the securing member from engaging position by manipulation `t the surface vsubstantiallyas described.' Y Y vtop of said piling section and to guidevthe latter into alinement and registration with the piling section of the follower, securing means carried by the follower memberl and operative to attach said -member to the pil-V ing section toV be driven by engagement Vwith the latter and means for releasing said securing means from engagement withthe piling section Vsaid latter means being lconnected to the securing means randadapted to be operatedy from a point abovewater level substantially as described.

7. A- pile follower adapted for driving sheet piling' below water level comprising a follower member, said follower member being composed of a portion of a piling section of the type to be driven having reinforced members attached thereto and eX- tending therebelow for engagement with the piling section to,be driven and to provide a guiding slot or groove to receive therein the top of said piling section and to guide the latter into alinement and registration with the piling section of the follower, a securing'member pivotally supported on the lfollower member and operative normally to engage with the piling section to be driven to connect same to the follower member and a releasing connection attachedto thesecuring member and adapted to 'be operated by manipulation at a point above the water levelto effect themovement of the securing member to release the piling section `substantially as described.

8. A- pile followerv adapted for Vdriving Y steel sheetjpiling below water level comprisinga follower member, said follower member being Composed of a portion ofva piling section of the type to be driven having reinforcing members attached thereto and eX- r tending therebelow for engagement with the piling section to be driven and to provide a guiding slot or groove to receive therein the top of said piling section and to guide the latter into alinement and registration with the Vpiling section of the follower,fa securing member pivotally supported upon the fol-V lower member and provided with a wdetent disposed to have engagement with the piling section to be driven to connect the lattery to the follower, said securing member being shiftable at right angles to the piling section, a retractile spring connected re- V spectively to the securing member and to the follower members and operativenormally to moveY ,the` former, into securing positionc guide the same into parallel alinement and registration with the follower pile section, a

and a iiexible connection to the securing member adapted to be manipulated from above water level to withdraw said mem,- ber fromposition of securingpengagement substantially as described.

9. A pile follower adapted for driving steel sheet piling below water level compris-A ing extended below the follower piling section for engagement with the piling section to be driven and to provide therebetween an entry slot for the latter piling sectionV to pivot pin supported by the flanges, at one side of the follower member, a securing member pivotally supported upon said piny and provided with a detent adapted to engage an aperture in the top portion of the piling to be driven, means normally acting to move the securing member into securing engagement with the piling section, said securing member being shiftable upon its piv` otal support in a plane at right angles to the web of the piling section and provided with a releasing connection attached to the rear of the securing member and extended to a position below water level to permit of 'manipulation thereof at the surface to withdraw the securing member from securing engagement with the piling section and a protective plate secured tothe channel members in close proximity to the securing members substantially as described.

10,'A pile follower adapted for driving sheet piling below water level comprising a' follower member adapted for driving engagement with a pile section tov be driven and provided with guiding means at the sides thereofadapted for guiding engagement with the interlocks of a piling section and ywith the corresponding means of a second follower member, thev said guiding means of the follower member beingvada'pted for registration `with the interlocks of a piling section driven thereby, said follower element being provided with an entry slot for a piling section to be driven arranged to receive therein a piling section in parallel vertical alinement with'the guiding means and with the interlocks thereof in registration with said guiding means, and securing means operative to attach the follower mein-y Vber tothe piling V section to be driven by engagement therewith and means` for releasing the ,securing means from coupling engagement, said latter means being operative by manipulation from a point above water level substantially as described. c,

In testimony .whereof I have signed my name to this specification. y f

CHARLES. s. BOARDMAN. 

